Mark Lawson claims that there is "little apparent community interest" in reducing Australia's extremely high immigration levels. That's a big call, given that the Australian public has never been consulted, and has been frequently misled, about immigration and population. Perhaps if we were allowed to have an open and informed national debate on such issues, some semblance of democracy could be introduced into Australia's immigration policies. As it stands, our present immigration policies are most undemocratic, even anti-democratic.

I also notice how Mr. Lawson dismisses the general premise of Mark O'Connor's and William Lines' recent book, Overloading Australia, without bothering to address the specific, and very compelling, arguments they raise. Despite all the evidence to the contrary, it seems that Mr. Lawson still clings to the old booster myth that Australia is a vast, empty land that can easily accommodate many millions more immigrants, without any worry of serious environmental degradation or decline of quality of life. Depleted soils? Water shortages? Rising carbon emissions? Congested cities? Overburdened infrastructure? Housing shortages? Worsening balance of payments problems? She'll be right, mate!

[Continued below...]

Not only do Mr. Lawson and his fellow boosters completely ignore the very substantial costs of high population growth in this country, they also fail to demonstrate the benefits. Why exactly must Australia continue to double its population every forty years? How does this staggering rate of deliberate population growth benefit the existing population? "Population growth stimulates the economy", the boosters argue. The problem with this argument is that although population growth increases total GDP, it does not increase GDP per capita. So, even though the overall economic pie may be getting larger, the average Australian is not getting a larger slice as there are far more people than before to divide the pie up among. In fact, all the research seems to point to the average Australian actually becoming worse off financially under the high-growth road that the growth lobby and their lackeys in government have steered this country down, with lower wages and higher housing costs being two costs that immediately spring to mind. And these are just the very tip of the iceberg when you consider the full costs - not only economic, but also environmental, social and cultural - of sustained, immigration-driven population growth. The fact of the matter is that we ruining our country and condemning future generations to a lower quality of life all for nothing.

Are these the rantings of a 'greenie'? No, just a concerned citizen.

Thanks for the link Fractelle, very telling.

I had not responded previously as I had forgotten about this topic as it slipped further down the page/screen and only just realised it was still active today.

Humans are part of the earth and as such we do have impact - it is as simple as that.

Thanks Pelican

And thanks for your summary, on the 'Hey Good Lookin' thread. I thought about going back and trying to pull out the major points established from the discussion, but I did say I had finished posting and I feel that a lot of the, er, bluster from particular posters would just see that as further ammunition, so I refrained. Does this mean I have been silenced or did I finish at the time of my own choosing?

I would say you chose your time.

You don't seem like someone who can be silenced merely by differing opinions and you always have interesting things to contribute - even if we do not always agree. :)

Just when you thought it was safe to walk on water.lol (Jaws theme.) My departure has been overly exaggerated and the imaginations are fit and healthy with all sorts of interesting insights and limited profiling skills, plus an abundant serving of guess work.

Well, that's science, and religion still has its place, but not on the front lines.

Q&A, Pelican and others, I highly recommend a listen or read transcript of yesterday's Background Briefing on Radio National.

The author and historian, Ronald Wright, discusses the vexing issue of population versus resources in his work on "A short history of Progress".

http://www.abc.net.au/rn/backgroundbriefing/stories/2009/2548406.htm

He really puts human beings into context with the rest of the planet.Posted by Fractelle, Monday, 27 April 2009 11:22:13 AM

Mr Wright speaks clearly and with-out doubt, is at the fore-front of new-age thinking. I have said before, with the masses of humans, our old system cant cope with the numbers, and if the world wants to grow, a new system is need.
Now that's a big step! and one, we are no where near ready for, yet. Technologies have not taken into account that the evolutionary time clock ticks at a different rate, and this is what so many over-look.

So the market people rule the world? do you see what their doing? Now the thing about change, it takes a lot of guts, and I know the Australian people has the coco-nuts to lead the way, and show them what the meaning of sustainability is, with-out ignorants of out-side influences.

Buy your time carefully Australia, you sit with one of the cleanest and richest environments the world has ever seen, and to blow that, would be disappointing. Let the reckless burn-out, and when they want uncontaminated food products, we,ll be waiting. hehehe.

EV